Public libraries are often at the forefront of solving problems in their communities. They have long been advocates, educators, and conveners for their localities. This course will help librarians interested in community engagement to advance their goals by learning tools and techniques from the civic technology sector and gaining skills in working effectively with their local governments to meet their organizational goals.
This course aims to help librarians explore how to leverage public libraries’ skill sets and community knowledge to create resident-centered information solutions for civic problems and to partner with local governments on these solutions in effective ways.
The Civic Librarian contains six modules with resources that introduce librarians to the concepts and practical processes of civic technology. Each module includes short lessons, case studies, activities to practice and apply the learning, and a few additional resources.
This course is based on the Citizen Interaction Design program at the University of Michigan School of Information, which connects students with Michigan communities to create information tools for twenty-first century citizens. That program has engaged with a dozen government partners through over 150 student projects to explore and practice civic technology partnerships. The lectures and case studies presented here are from this course and the projects students produced.
This module offers insight into libraries' active involvement in civic tech, their distinct role, and project implementation. It emphasizes libraries' civic engagement and encourages design thinking for effective problem-solving.
This module provides a comprehensive understanding of civic technology and its various applications. It delves into the definition of civic technology, its diverse range of tools and services, and the benefits and drawbacks associated with the implementation of such technologies.
This module delves into User Experience Research's vital role in solving civic issues and enhancing civic tech solutions. It emphasizes using UX principles, research methods, and user-centered design for impactful civic tech experiences.
This module addresses turning user research into impactful civic tech solutions. It imparts skills to create and refine problem-solving prototypes and discusses the practicalities and constraints of maintaining civic tech resources.
This module focuses on collaborating with local governments in the context of civic tech projects. It explores the benefits and challenges of partnering with local governments, ownership issues, matching civic problems with government departments, effective communication strategies, and funding considerations.
This module covers evaluating and measuring the impact of civic tech. It equips learners to define success criteria, grasp project failure reasons, make maintenance plans, and use effective methods for ongoing success measurement.
